Burning Desires
by RoyEd Shipper
Summary: Edward has gotten into a bit of trouble again, this time very wounded. While healing in the infirmary, certain feelings are discovered from a fellow military officer. Can someone who committed a great sin experience the joys of love? [RoyEd]
1. Return to Central

Hello! And Welcome to my RoyEd fic! I wrote this because I am a loyal fan to all and everything that is RoyEd. In case you didn't read the summary of this piece or you don't know what any of the warnings mean, I shall explain. This story is RoyEd, meaning the pairing of Edward Elric and Roy Mustang. Pairing. As in romantic. Yes, it's two guys. I happen to be a fan of yaoi, shounen-ai, or Boy's Love. If you don't like this, then you are in the wrong place because I do. Please do not leave any comments against the pairing because then you really do not have any reason to read this in the first place. Seriously, yes I do realize that Edward and Mustang are both guys and there is an age difference there, but I am a fine believer in the fact that if you love someone it shouldn't matter what race, age, or gender. Love is love. Leaving a comment about Roy being a pedophile or against being gay is just idiotic and I will not tolerate it. RoyEd is a popular pairing to many. Really, if you are against anything here that I have warned you about, then why the heck are you reading this in the first place?

Anyways, now that my little rant is over I can continue. Although it says yaoi in the summary, this is more of a shounen-ai. No high rated things.

This story has two original military officers in it. They play a big role in this first chapter, but remember, Roy and Ed are the stars of the story so they're just backups, the ones who keep the story running when the main characters are not there. Guy Grandova and Gustave Wolfwood.

I gave this fic a higher rating just for the fact that it is shounen-ai and that Edward swears a lot. There is of course violence...some of the best scenes in FMA just happen to be Fight Scenes. I hope that you enjoy this fic.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They are all property of Hiromu Arakawa's creative mind. I do however own this computer that I am typing on, Grandova and Wolfwood, and...wow...I think that's it...**

* * *

**_Chapter 1-_**

_The hardest thing to understand is the human heart. One moment it may be beating happily while the next it feels crushed. Love, hatred, each emotion can be easily mistaken for the other. How can one tell if it's love or hatred when denial comes into the picture? And if it is love…how does one go about it when it is unrequited?_

"D-Damn it…" Edward silently mumbled under his breath as he weakly trudged forward, dragging each foot as he did so. His usually blonde locks were drenched in blood, his blood. A few droplets of the red liquid slid down a strand of hair and landed on the already large stain on his back. "No I…I can't let it end like this...not now…" The boy held the hand of his metallic limb before his face, barely able to see the ripped sleeve and glove upon it, his vision being too blurry to see much of anything. He covered his mouth with it as he coughed, chest heaving as he did so.

The Fullmetal Alchemist chuckled silently under his breath. "Sorry Al…it looks like I won't be getting your body back…" He lowered his arm from his mouth and allowed it to drop to his side. The metal somehow felt heavier than it normally did, despite Winry's efforts to make it lighter and have more mobility. As it fell to his side, he nearly lost his balance; if he didn't have a leg of automail on the other side of his body, he surely would have. Edward squinted his eyes as he looked down the path ahead of him, trying to see where his legs were taking him, denying the fact that he would perish if left in his condition much longer.

With another step, the blonde felt a sudden bout of dizziness surge through his head, making his vision become dimmer than it already was. His surroundings now had a tubular shape to them, the corners of his field of vision too dark to make out. Edward grabbed his forehead with his left hand and squeezed it, trying to make the feeling leave his body. This wasn't what he had planned on, not what he was willing to accept. He wouldn't die, not until he was able to right the sin he and his brother had committed three years ago. Not until he restored his brother's body. Not until he…

Edward felt his body plunge forward, everything seeming surreal as he fell, the very fall appearing to be in slow motion in his eyes. His body hit the ground and he curled up in his place on impact, his meeting with the ground hurting his several wounds. The boy blinked a few times, each time his eyes remaining closed longer during the blink until they didn't reopen. "Alphonse…" he incomprehensibly whispered as he began to lose contact with his surroundings. "I'm…sorry…" Edward lost all senses of the world and lay motionless on the ground, a puddle of blood slowly spreading around him.

* * *

"Are you certain the Elric brothers came this way?" A voice called from the distance. 

"I'm sure of it," A masculine voice replied. "One of them anyway. I spoke to a civilian who said she saw a short blonde with a temper wearing a red coat and white gloves come through the town today. The only person I know of that fits that description is Fullmetal himself. It means that we must be close. Even he can't travel very quickly by foot." He tightened his hold on the reins of a majestic looking white stallion. "We'll catch up shortly. These horses can travel more than twice the speed of Fullmetal."

The first man nodded as he came into view, his horse being all black in coloring except for a splash of white upon its muzzle, traveling up between the steed's eyes. "Fullmetal can be a handful at times. Are you sure he didn't try to throw off any militia as he traveled? I'm not an alchemist, but I know his techniques can almost match the colonel's, and his specialty isn't within a single type of transmutation." He let loose of the reign with one hand as he adjusted the collar of the blue military uniform he wore. "I still remember watching that match between the Colonel and Fullmetal. He used a decoy to grab every else's attention as he made his move." The man noticed how his comrade didn't respond to his questions. "Lieutenant Wolfwood?"

Lieutenant Wolfwood closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Lieutenant Grandova…how would it be possible for Fullmetal to hide from us if he didn't know we were looking for him? We wouldn't be out here if we didn't have to warn him bout the murderer that is loose…"

Lieutenant Grandova whipped his head to the side in order to rid his vision from the brown shaggy bangs hanging before his face. "For some reason I thought he may be in hiding. I don't know, I don't quite understand him…"

"Enough about that," Lieutenant Wolfwood replied sternly. "We have a job to fulfill. Keep your eyes peeled. He can't be far from here now, but remember that he is a small target…"

"R-Right," The younger military officer replied as he took a hold of his reign with both hands once more. "But the color red should stick out in all this snow…it would stick out anywhere…" He stopped his horse as his eyes caught glimpse of something lying on the ground. _Red…? Could it be…? _Grandova swung his legs to the left side of his horse and slowly slid off the mammal, landing ankle deep in the newly fallen snow.

Wolfwood pulled on his horse's reins, the stallion neighing as a result, to bring it to a halt, perplexingly watching his fellow military officer. "Grandova, is there a problem? Did you fall off your horse?"

"No…I just saw something…" Grandova lifted a foot and brushed the snow off it before placing it back into the mass of white. He remained unfazed by Wolfwood's comments, by this time being used to the ridicule; he wasn't exactly the sharpest person in the military, how he achieved the rank of lieutenant escaped many of his fellow commanders. The man walked forward to where the red resided and bent over the object. It was covered in snow and appeared to be tattered. "What is this…?"

"It's probably some animal." Wolfwood said silently as he climbed off his horse as well. "At times certain animals can't make it to a shelter in time for hibernation, eventually freezing to death. Leave it, we have more important matters at this moment." He placed his hand on Grandova's shoulder and patted it. "Come on Guy, I know you like animals, but you can't pick up every one that you see, especially if there isn't anything left to do for it." He began to walk back to his horse when Grandova stopped him. "Guy…?"

"It's still breathing…do you see that or is it my imagination?" Guy asked as he crouched down to get a better look at the animal. "And all this red...I think that it may be blood…"

Wolfwood sighed, never actually taking a look at the animal when told about it. "Then it's wounded. Let nature take care of itself. We shouldn't interfere. Come on, we have to find Fullmetal." When he reached his horse, the man took a hold of the reins.

Guy didn't respond at first, but bowed his head. "That's right. We can't very well avoid the words of a colonel. And Fullmetal is still a kid, isn't he?" Grandova lifted himself to his feet and brushed off the snow sticking to his uniform. "Not only that, but it's cold out here. We don't want to c-" The brunette found himself laying on the ground, face planted into the snow after losing his balance.

Upon hearing a noise, Wolfwood quickly turned around; senses keen to whatever may be lurking in the shadows. Seeing that there was no need to be alarmed and his comrade had another clumsy moment, his hand found itself upon his forehead for the second time that day. "Lieutenant Grandova…can't you wait until we get back to headquarters before you decide to play in the snow?"

Guy Grandova lifted his head and spit out the snow in his mouth. "I'm not playing in the snow…" He lifted his torso with his arms and sat upon his heals; now that he was already soaking wet from the snow it didn't matter if he allowed the rubber souls to touch his uniform. "I tripped over something hard…"

"It was most likely a rock." Wolfwood held onto the white stallion's saddle, preparing to jump upon it. "We're in the wilderness, it would make sense to run into some natural features."

Grandova nodded and stood as tall as he could, making any necessary adjustments to his uniform in hope that if it still looked well the fact that it was soaking wet would not matter as much. "Understood. Edward Elric is the top priority at this moment." He moved his foot forward with much difficulty. "That is…once I get my foot free sir…" The brunette goofily saluted his friend as he began to dig into the snow. His actions stopped as he stared into the hole in the white blanket he just created. "…Gustave…?"

Lieutenant Wolfwood sighed again. "What? Is your foot trapped under the rock or something?"

Guy shook his head. "Negative…but Gustave…"

"What is it Lieutenant?"

"Edward Elric…or the Fullmetal Alchemist…he has metallic limbs…correct?"

Gustave Wolfwood quirked a brow. "Correct…do you have any ideas of where he may be located?"

Guy pointed to the snow. "I think that I may have found him…"

"What!" Gustave let go of his horse and hurriedly walked to Guy's side. Sure enough, there was Edward Elric, the object Grandova tripped over being his automail arm. "And that red…?"

"Well, some of it is this rag he's wearing…" Grandova pointed out as he lifted some of the cloth. "But the rest is what we thought it was before we knew Fullmetal was here. It's blood and it looks like a lot of it…hmmm…you know Gustave, this…"

"Then don't just sit there in awe! Start digging him out!" Wolfwood knelt at Guy's side and began to dig in the snow to uncover the teenager, hoping that he was more or less in one piece. "It looks as if we may have been a little late in informing him…"

"You can't exactly be sure about that…" Guy dug into the snow and threw whatever he grabbed in his hands over his shoulder. "This doesn't look like the work of that particular murderer at all…but…"

"You're right…it doesn't look like the other attacks that there have been…but there is always a chance that whoever did this tried to throw us off…" Gustave brushed some snow away from the pile before him and revealed Edward's face. "It looks like he was here long enough to at least be lightly covered with snow…but his face still has signs of life and isn't exactly frozen. We must have arrived here shortly after he dropped to the ground. I can't tell how much before that he was injured though…look over there…" Gustave motioned ahead of them with his head. "It looks like he may have walked here, sure, the footsteps are covered by now, but you can still see the indentions in the mass signifying that they once existed." He placed his hand on Edward's cheek. "He's cold from the snow, but I can still feel his warm breath…that's a good sign…and you said earlier that you saw him breathing?"

"Yes," Guy finished uncovering Ed's chest and rolled him over onto his back. "It's surprising that he didn't freeze, suffocate…or bleed to death…"

"You mean yet," Wolfwood cut in. "We need to get him back to Central quickly and to an infirmary if we want to ensure he'll make the night. Colonel Mustang will want to know what happened." _He seems to become easily aggravated with any negative news about the Elric brothers…_ "Help me lift him onto my horse."

The brunette nodded, positioning his hands under Edward's upper body, leaving the legs to be held by Gustave. "Central is the closest military base…but do you think that it's wise to let the Colonel know about what happened before we can make Fullmetal look presentable?" He began to lift his side of the alchemist.

"It is better to inform him before anything else happens to the boy…" Wolfwood lifted Edward's legs synchronized with Guy's lifting. "This isn't the first time Elric has been near to death, or so I've heard. It's not our job to become involved in anything unassigned to us, but word travels around. Colonel Mustang was angrier about not being told of the hospital visit than the fact Fullmetal was in there in the first place."

"Mnnnnn…"

Guy looked at Edward's face and a chill ran down his spine. "Was that him that made that noise…?" He shivered at the thought. "He must be a tough kid to be able to hang onto and fight for consciousness…even barely…"

"There is a reason why he was able to become a state alchemist at the age of twelve…he's the youngest recruit that the military has ever seen." A more furtive look spread across his face. "Don't tell me you're frightened of his strength…"

"It's not that…but…" Guy looked away from Edward's body and towards his own horse. "It's just…he's so badly wounded and he's stayed out here in the cold…nearly all covered in snow, but he still has his fighting spirit left. I would have probably lost everything by this time and wouldn't want to go on with trying to survive anymore. Despite his size and age, this little guy must have a lot that he wants to accomplish before he can give up on everything…"

Wolfwood closed his eyes. "Guy…you're thinking too much…let's just get Mr. Elric back to Central and then we can discuss any matters that are on your mind…" He and Grandova lifted Edward higher and placed him upon the white stallion. "It's not that long of a ride there." Once the blonde's body was draped over the horse's back, Wolfwood climbed upon it, sitting directly behind the alchemist's body. "Now Lieutenant Grandova, let's return to central…"

Grandova nodded as he crawled upon his own horse and uneasily returned to gazing at Edward's motionless body upon the steed, the alchemist's body apparently still bleeding from the severity of his wounds. "Um…the man swallowed before continuing, "Do you think that…even if he survives and everything…he'll be fine after the Colonel meets with him…?"

Wolfwood cracked a small smile. "I haven't been in the military for very long as it is. And I don't think that it is necessarily right to speak of a higher ranked military officer to others…especially behind his back..." He placed on hand on the young alchemist's back, the other holding the reign of his horse as his horse began a gallop, Grandova's close behind. "But I think that you have too quickly judged our Colonel. He cares for the Elrics, Ed especially…in his own way. Remember, it was Colonel Mustang who saw his abilities first hand and before anyone else had."

_But…that doesn't exactly answer my question… _Grandova bemusedly thought as they approached Central Headquarters.

* * *

Edward slowly opened his eyes, almost immediately regretting it as his vision was flashed with a bright light, his surroundings appearing white. Seeing the color made his heart drop. _Crap…am I dead?_ He rubbed an eye with his left hand, trying to adjust his vision; at the moment it was quite blurry. He managed to bring some objects into focus while others remained indistinct. One item in particular was a cabinet on a distant wall. A few bottles and bandages along with disinfectant were lined up meticulously near a sink. The blonde scratched his head. _If this were heaven then this is one hell of a messed up place…_

"You're awake," A masculine voice called from the distance. Edward slowly moved his head to see a hazy figure standing at what appeared to be a doorway. "I thought that you were going to sleep for a week straight. It looks like you proved me wrong."

Edward closed his eyes and relaxed his head upon his pillow. _Damn it…this must be the other place…there's no other way he'd be with me…that Mustang…_

Roy smirked at the boy, knowing very well before hand that the teenager would act in such a way. "What? Are you still tired? I thought by now you would be past the age for naps."

The blonde narrowed his eyes as he turned his head away. "That's something coming from the guy who sits in his office all day avoiding paperwork." He coughed and closed his eyes, being more stubborn than anything. _My body…it's numb…they must have given me some sort of medication after they brought me here…but it still is a wonder that I survived the injuries I had…_

"There is work to be done here just as there is for you and others to do outside these doors," Mustang replied in an unfazed tone. "Speaking of which, did you retrieve any more information about…" He looked about the room and closed the door behind him as he stepped forward, lowing his voice as he spoke. "The Philosopher's Stone? Remember, I left that in your hands."

Edward didn't speak at first, instead giving a small groan of agitation. He hated it when it seemed as if his words did not affect the Flame Alchemist in the least. They were always either ignored or thrown back to him. "I…thought I had gotten even closer to the truth…" he finally coughed, voice sounding frail. Whether it was because of how weak his body felt or that he was in a bad temper from responding to his elder was not certain.

Roy sighed as he approached Ed's bed. "I don't know how you expect the military to fund for your research if you don't supply us with any results. Not only that but you deliberately disobeyed the word of a higher ranked military official than yourself." With each word he said, the man's voice became sterner. "There is a convict who escaped and is currently missing. We have no traces of evidence or idea of his whereabouts. He targets state alchemists; if I remember correctly you are placed in that category." By this time Mustang stood at the foot of the teenager's bed and was looking directly at his discontent face. "If that was not enough of a reason to stay in Central until told to do so otherwise, Scar is still at large. He has been reported of being in this area."

With a small inaudible sigh Edward repositioned his head so his face was in the pillow, trying to give the message that he didn't want to deal with any of this at the moment from anyone, especially from a military colonel like Mustang.

Roy clenched his hands at his sides, but made sure to keep a calm and cool exterior, especially when it came to his facial expression. He smirked before turning his back away from the hurt boy. "I should have known that sending a child in to do military work was a mistake in the first place. Next time I should send a more highly trained official. Then results can be expected along with the proper following of a few simple orders.

Edward felt his body beginning to seethe with anger. That was it, the reason why he hated to deal with Mustang on a regular basis. The man always seemed to turn everything he did or said against him, leaving the blonde with no way to defend himself. Letting his anger get the best of him, the Fullmetal Alchemist rolled over onto his back and gripped the bed sheets tightly between his fingers and the palms of his hands. "I'm not a child!" He shouted as he shot up to a sitting position, a little too quickly he thought, for his head was now spinning and he felt light-headed. The boy didn't allow his hands to loosen their hold of the blankets as he began to pant. "I…I did make some progress…and I plan to make a lot more…I'll be out of here today…and after that I'll be able to get the Philosopher's stone…you and I will never have to deal with each other again…"

Mustang turned around, unsure as to what to say to Edward's overexertion of his body. He noticed the pale coloring of his fellow alchemist's face and the shaking of his small body. "Edward…" He began before pausing and observing the boy for any more damage. "Overexertion at this time will not help to change my mind about the situation. You may reopen your stitches and become worse off than you were when you were carried here."

"I'm not stupid Mustang…" Edward hissed, releasing the sheet with his hand of flesh in order to rub his eye. "I'm not doing anything…that will wear me out…"

"Who did this to you…?" Roy suddenly asked in a serious tone. "I know it wasn't Scar by the way your injuries look. And it wasn't the resent fugitive." He walked to the edge of Edward's head and stopped near his head.

Edward refused to look at him; or rather he was afraid that if he moved his head any more than he had to he would surely pass out. He remained staring forward towards the foot of his bed. "Who did this to me…?" He asked in a quiet tone before lightly chuckling. "Who did…" He looked towards the ceiling, the lights seeming to be very bright above his head.

Mustang raised a brow as he watched the child, not allowing any of his worry and anxiety about his condition surface and become visible to the boy. "Do you mean to tell me you are unsure of what happened…did you see the attacker?"

Edward scratched the back of his head. "I…don't remember anything…I didn't even remember how I got here…" His eyes began to close. "But…it doesn't mean…I won't get to…the bottom of this…" At the end of his last word, the blonde began to fall to the side, being caught by Roy before he could tumble off the bed.

The man looked at his sleeping comrade and sighed. "This is why I say you're a child Edward. You push yourself past your limits and don't listen to any of the adults here." He gently placed the boy back onto the bed and fixed the blankets upon him. _Not to mention the way you make me worry… _He brushed some of the alchemist's hair away from his eyes; since it was not pulled back at this time it seemed to have a mind of its own. The Flame Alchemist placed a hand upon the blonde's cheek, noticing that it felt warm. "Just stay here a while longer…" He bent over next to the boy, hand still cupping his cheek. "I'm glad…that you're fine…even if that may stretching the truth a little…" He closed his eyes and leaned over still until he stopped in his place in fear that someone may be watching somehow. It was a military facility, there had to be eyes in some parts of the building. _And he's sound asleep too…_

Roy Mustang cleared his throat and walked to the entrance to the room. With a small shake of his head he opened it and exited.

Upon hearing the door close, Edward partially opened his eyes. _What…what the hell…was that…? Was Mustang just going to…was he about to… _A small blush began to spread across his face as he dug his head into the pillow in order to hide it, trying to remove any of the images in his mind. _I must be more delusional than I thought…either that or he really is as perverted as everyone says he is…that sick bastard... _Despite the blonde's thoughts, he couldn't rid himself of his heated cheeks and the small smile still buried in his pillow...

**End of Chapter 1**

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_Thanks for Reading! And as I have said this is soon to be RoyEd! Well…you could kind of tell in a way with what Roy was about to do and how Edward responded to it… The next chapter should be finished in a week or two._

_Please Read and Review! It would be very much appreciated! It always means a lot to me to hear from my readers. Not only that but a comment or two always puts me in a good mood..._


	2. Realizations of a Snowy Afternoon

I want to start off by saying thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I'm glad that everyone liked it so far! Wolfwood and Grandova do not make an appearance in this chapter. They were at first, but then I decided against it. They may come back in the future for brief appearances though. -**_shrugs shoulders-_** Who knows, the future is still undecided. This chapter in fact only has two characters in it- Roy and Edward, the characters that brought this fic into being! They're both dealing with confusion at the moment. Sadly the relationship isn't full-blown yet (Even I want them to hurry it up being the author...but Ed is a stubborn little guy...)

And again, do not leave nasty comments about the pairing because you have had multiple warnings about it. I think comments should be used to congratulate a reader for their good work or give pointers about what the writer could improve on. NOT diss the story due to the pairing in it. So childish...that's worse than how Edward acts at times...

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. Everything belongs to Hiromu Arakawa. I wish I could have come up with such a great storyline and characters... but of course then Ed and Roy would just have to end up together so they could... ahem... All in all I do not own anything that appeared in the manga and or anime...**

And now... onto chapter 2!

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_Chapter 2-_

"Two days…" Edward mumbled distastefully as he lay in his bed, feeling very much as if he were in a cocoon made of tightly wrapped immaculate blankets. "It's been two damn days…granted I was unconscious for one of them…" He rolled his head over to the side, cheek now lightly resting upon the recently fluffed pillow. He fidgeted for a moment while he pulled his mechanical arm out from under the layers of blankets, which indeed proved to be difficult for it was Armstrong, only in Central for a short visit to due to military orders, who put the boy in the uncomfortable position he now rested in. The Major always did have a knack for immeasurable strength when it came to his bone crushing hugs, why would tucking someone under blankets be any different?

With an aggravated and overly exaggerated sigh, Edward lifted his head and dropped it again on his pillow. "Rrrrrggg…I can't take this anymore!" It wasn't unusual for the Fullmetal Alchemist to become a bit excessive with his actions and boredom wherefrom they came. Being idle meant several outside forces could be moving without his knowing. The Philosopher's Stone's true meaning could very well move or be found by another, depending on what it truly was or where it currently resided. Even if the precious stone did not change its location or form of being, there still was the fact that staying in a place like this only lengthened the time he needed to spend on his journey; _his valuable time_- the time that he could have used to find a way to restore his brother's body and his own two limbs.

His eyes traveled to the only window in the room. The blinds were open about halfway, allowing some sunlight to penetrate the room, shining dully on all objects within. Dark cumulonimbus clouds scattered themselves across the sky, every so often moving before the sun and blocking out all rays and traces of light. Edward vaguely wondered if it was going to snow again once more this coming night. The hospital room itself seemed to have dropped in temperature despite the constant efforts from the doctors and nurses within the building to assure all patients were well treated and comfortable. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that he was trapped under the hundreds, or so it felt, of blankets.

The door to the small infirmary room clicked and opened, taking the blonde's attention away from the window for a brief moment away before it returned to gaze angrily at it once more. "What do you want…?" he grunted, not caring to give any more respect than he felt he had or wanted to. Out of all places that he had to be incapacitated it just had to be a military structure and not just any structure. It was a military building…with _him_ there.

"Then I suppose you don't want dinner…" Mustang responded as he closed the door behind him, a tray with a plate of food balanced in his free hand. He watched the boy cringe, most likely due to his anger and stubbornness. "I never thought I'd see the day you would turn down food. I heard that for a little guy you do eat a lot."

"Little…?" Edward asked quietly, gritting his teeth as he did so. He turned his head to look at the man, eyes fixed upon his shape and glaring before he without warning, although very predictably by now, ripped the blankets off himself and shouted, "I AM NOT A LITTLE MICROSCOPIC CHIBI THAT CAN EASILY BE UNSEEN BY EVEN THE USE OF A MAGNIFYING GLASS!" After his shout of defense his body slouched, shoulders drooping and hands resting on the bed. He took a few deep breaths, but never let his angry gaze leave the Colonel.

Mustang mentally coaxed himself into holding back his tempting laughter. Edward always seemed to have a grudge about his height even if he did try to act taller and of 'great stature' as he put it. Anything that was called small or short within his range of hearing would always somehow, by the work of the teen's mind, be directed towards him. If only the boy realized the position he put himself in and the ammo that he gave to others when he shouted out random ramblings of him not being so short that 'he could be smashed by the smallest of insects or a speck of dust.' Every shout may have been irrelevant in the conversation at first, but soon surely enough the topic would shift to be about either his actions or height, the very thing he tried to defend. Not that it quite bothered the Colonel though. He felt that the little bouts of anger and tantrums only made a long workday seem a bit more tolerable. Besides, it was a way of free entertainment. There was always a way that Edward's episodes made him feel, but for the man it was difficult to quite put into words. Was it happiness? No, that wasn't the best way to describe it. Whatever it was it seemed…odd. That must be it. It was something he least expected to experience from the constantly fuming miniature state alchemist and at times it puzzled him.

"What!" Edward shouted after an eerie silence followed his previous shouting. Mustang was still standing near the door, tray in his hand, and looking at Edward. "What the hell are you doing? You're freaking me out!" His shouting was not quite as load as it was earlier since he did have a loss of energy, but it still seemed to echo off the empty spaces of the white room. The silence in itself seemed to linger on as Mustang only smirked in response to the shouts, preparing himself for a comeback.

"Just as I suspected…" came his response in the usual sardonic tone, completely ignoring the fact that he was 'freaking out' the boy. It was just another way that the Fullmetal Alchemist tried to grab attention, though he had the Colonel's long before that. "You're weaker than you've been telling us. If you want to stop being treated like a child, then make an attempt at responsibility and act like an adult…" He paused before softly sighing. "Now eat, you're no use to us when you tire yourself out. Isn't there a certain stone that you are still after?"

"Damn it already! I'm not hungry!" The blonde shouted as he crossed his arms and mulishly looked away from the Flame Alchemist. It was true that a meal, no matter what size, might help the boy regain some of the strength he lost due to the injuries, and he was very hungry, having not eaten anything since the day before his fall; but there was no way he would accept food from Mustang. He continued to tell himself Roy's help was unneeded and unwanted. It took a bit of persuasion to continue to believe this, but so far he had prevailed.

Mustang rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling. "I _am_ dealing with a child…" he mumbled before returning his gaze to the pouting boy on the bed. "If that's the way you're going to act each time you have an accident then I see no reason why I shouldn't treat you as one. Perhaps I have been too lenient with your actions. I shouldn't have let you out of my sight…"

Edward turned his head and gazed at the colonel. "Your comments are beginning to get old pretty quickly…" His voice seemed to become more tedious with every word. Dealing with Mustang's visits, which by the way became more frequent as time went on, dawned on him, making his usual anger dwindle to just an aggravation. The boy would never willingly give up a fight, but…there was always that slight chance that his elder would become bored and leave, never to come back. Too bad that would only be in those far distant dreams…

The Flame Alchemist ogled Edward after the unexpected reaction. There were only rare times that his comments would have such an effect. Either the other alchemist had enough of his words, wasn't feeling the greatest, or agreed with him but would rather not say so. All seemed possible, except for the latter of course, leaving the man not completely fazed by it. "Lieutenant Ross will be glad to know you're doing well…" he said almost thoughtfully, trying to rid the room of the reoccurring silence. "Although I am sure once she sees you she'll be put off about another hospital visit. I see you have already had a visit by the Major. Judging by how your legs look as they don't have mobility from being wrapped in blankets, it would be safe to assume the visit was recent."

Edward looked away before returning his gaze to the Flame Alchemist, golden optics blinking with each word the older man said. "Why are you spouting out all of this all of a sudden?

Mustang silently chuckled. "Well Fullmetal, despite you not caring about the military, it appears as more than a few of the recruits have grown to worry about you. See the effects a child can have on others?"

'_Grown to worry about you…' Yeah…I suppose so although I don't see why…but then there was also… _Edward unfolded his arms and allowed his hands to drop to his front where they held onto the blanket. He submissively looked away from the man standing before him, remembering the actions that happened only a night ago. _I still don't know if I should be furious about that or… _He felt too exhausted and weak, although he would never admit it, to think about the hundreds of questions that darted through his mind ever since nearly being kissed. Mustang always seemed to pull pranks and make the boy seethe, but the jokes were always done only to see the boy's reaction, usually a very loud and uncalled for outburst. If that was the case when the two were alone together, then why would it happen when Edward was supposedly passed out? He was mentally aware of what was happening at the time, only blacking out and falling for a brief moment. His body was limp in Roy's arms but his mental awareness was still present enough to hear every word the Colonel said and feel every motion of the man's body.

Why was it that he passed out in the first place? That was the easiest question on his mind; he overexerted himself. Why did he awake mentally enough to realize what happened, or rather, what could have happened? If he had a choice, he would have gladly stayed in an unconscious state, never having to know what thoughts went on through the perverted mind of his fellow military officer. But the best, and by far most confusing question on the boy's mind was one that questioned himself as a whole. Why did, deep down past the angst and stubbornness of being a teenage boy, did he not particularly mind the position he was in the night before, subconsciously wanting more? There were too many questions, many of which made the Fullmetal Alchemist ponder his own sexuality. A small blush began to spread across his face, heating up his cheeks, giving his pale skin a dash of rosy coloring.

Roy bemusedly observed the child, taking note of the slight discoloration of his face. He placed the tray of food on the small bedside table, having to move some paperwork and a glass of milk, that appeared to be untouched, to the side, before unexpectedly reaching out a hand to rest against Edward's cheek and chin, holding it delicately in his fingers as he looked into golden optics, a stern look upon his face.

Edward's eyes widened, heart increasing in rate at the gentle touch. He mentally cursed himself for the feeling, still unsure as to what all of it could mean. "M-Mustang…" he silently choked, feeling awkward. He couldn't bring himself to shout his usual protests as he looked into Roy's eyes.

Roy quirked a brow as he sat upon the edge of the Fullmetal Alchemist's bed and moved his hand to caress the blonde's cheek. "Fullmetal…" he began quietly, not noticing the darkening of Edward's blush. "You have a fever…" He paused for a moment before slyly smirking. "I believe I told you yesterday that overexertion could be dangerous…"

Golden eyes narrowed as Edward's mind, and heart, stopped racing. He lifted his automail arm and slapped away Mustang's hand angrily, not caring that the metal contacting with the other man's flesh would hurt much more than if he were to use his own human hand. "What the hell Mustang!" He shouted, once again becoming very loud. The boy took a deep breath as a last resort to calm his emotional body. Luckily he was able to remove the traces of a blush and replace it all with tense body signals and anger. "You can't just go around touching anyone as you damn please! Go do that to one of your girlfriends!" He shouted the last sentence before he was mentally aware of the words spewing out of his mouth. Hearing it aloud all pieced together sounded much worse than the whirlwind of thoughts and words to say that buzzed around in his mind. In order to hide his own confusion and embarrassment he growled and bared his teeth.

Colonel Mustang gently rubbed his hand, seeing the red mark left upon it due to the impact of the hit. He rose and turned his back, waving over his shoulder. "If you have this much energy then you'll obviously survive another night. Be sure to finish your meal, milk included." He listened for the usual moan at the mentioning of the white liquid before continuing. "Nurses should make visits sporadically to your room. If you need anything else, there are offices down the hallway of other military officials including mine." He opened the door.

_Wait…why is he…leaving…? It wasn't that hard of a hit…I mean… _Edward shuddered at his own thoughts and scowled. _Finally he's leaving!_

"Fullmetal…one more thing…"

"Yeah…what?" the blonde disrespectfully blurted out.

"Your last comment…it may be true. But the way that you have your hair now, the way it isn't pulled back…" He chuckled lightly. "You _do_ look very much like a girl…"

The door closed before the pillow Edward threw with all his might could reach the Flame Alchemist, hitting the door with a great force instead. He crossed his arms a second time and leaned back against the head of the bed. "Stupid Mustang…always pulling pranks…he can't call himself an adult either…" The boy sighed and closed his eyes as he tilted his head back, deeply inhaling. The room was finally silent and felt calm once more, almost like the gentle weather outside. Was this the calm before the storm?

Edward opened his eyes and turned his head to look out the window. There seemed to be no improvement weather wise, the opposite of the day in the infirmary room. A few white flakes of snow began to fall from the clouds, become caught in a gust of wind, and eventually fall to the ground where it melted at the touch, becoming a cool trickle of water wetting the piles of previously fallen snow. It seemed tranquil, the way that nature calmly sprinkled her glittery white across the city. Even the buildings glistened, coated with the shimmering abundance of white. The small flakes seemed to compliment the light from the sun, the two working as one to create a scenery no man could ever recreate.

"I doubt even alchemy could create something like this…" Edward said silently aloud as he looked towards his still tightly tucked legs. "The light and the snow…they work together…but it sucks how it makes winter this cold…" He tugged on the blankets to remove them from his legs and feet, shivering when he felt the difference in temperature. Being in a hospital gown, even if it was much too large for him, added to the feeling, creating a draft at the ties on his back and his legs. His metallic limbs could not feel anything, but they added to the feeling of chilliness, the place where the metal attached to his flesh feeling especially cold.

The boy rubbed his arm and leg, attempting to warm them up. He stopped and gazed at his body, noticing how injured he truly was. His forearm was wrapped in bandages to the wrist, leg being no better off. Edward didn't see his chest, but he knew he was tightly wrapped in bandages there as well, feeling it difficult to move and breathe because of them. _How the heck did I get so beat up so badly…? I don't remember anything… _He made a fist with his automail and looked at it. _But I still hurt like hell…I think the medicine they had me on has worn off…oh well…I can deal with this…_

Edward slowly turned his torso towards the window, gently swinging his legs to follow. As he moved, he closed his eyes, feeling the pain of moving stiff injured body parts. His legs now dangled off the side of the bed; if he were taller they would have touched the floor. With a heave, the alchemist slipped off the bed and stood flimsily on his feet, stumbling a few steps forward, needing to grab onto the bed with his hand for balance. "Damn it…" Edward silently cursed to himself, feeling another rush of pain and dizziness. "How much blood did I lose…" He made a fist with his hand, releasing the bed only to hit it very hard, not realizing what he had done until he found himself hitting the flood with his knees, creating a loud thud. He bit his lower lip to hold back any shouts of pain he would rather not have anyone hear. "How the hell…why the hell…" He gritted his teeth. "Al…"

Pulling himself together, the blonde began to lift his body until he was once again standing weakly. He moved his metallic foot forward; flesh one following in step with the other. He gave a small sigh of relief once he reached the window, slightly panting from working his body. A metal hand grabbed the window ledge as the rest of his body leaned forward against it and began to drop. "You said you didn't earlier when I asked you…but…how could you possibly not hate me…it's been more than three years and we're still not closer to restoring your body…" His chin was now resting against the window ledge, melancholy look upon his face. "I can't leave today…even I'm not _that_ reckless…I can barely stand…"

Edward closed his eyes as he tried to remember everything that happened. A few days ago they were still in Resembool. He had broken his automail again and needed repairs, receiving a few new bumps courtesy of a wrench to his head. At that time he could have sworn he didn't do anything unusual to his artificial limb, but for some reason it stopped working…and Winry seemed to swing back and forth from being overly kind to her usual angry state she was in when her precious work was broken. Alphonse stayed quiet as usual; most likely snickering unnoticeably due to the armor his soul was attached to. Once the automail was repaired and short comments were thrown at him, the two Elrics left to head to another town that supposedly had another lead for the precious stone; rumors had it that human sacrifices were unneeded.

The train ride was recalled to memory. It was long and cold, if there were more people on board their body heat may have warmed the place up a bit. Most of the scenery they passed was trees and forests, which would make sense why when he was unconscious he was found in the forest in the first place. For some reason the train broke down, the conductor blamed the weather, but it seemed as if it could have been the doing of another party as well. A certain person or group of people who watched the Fullmetal Alchemist, knowing that he would be on that precise train at that precise time.

The rest seemed blurry. Edward didn't remember Alphonse being in his company after that. The next memory was pain, when he tried to drag his battered body forward through the snow, vision foggy and dimming. After that…he ended up in Central…with…him…

Edward rubbed his eyes, slightly angered in the fact he was having memory lapses, but one image in his mind could not be erased. Mustang's face seemed to be there, looking sympathetically at him, a sight he never saw before. _Others worry about me here in the military…huh? Are dogs just loyal to each other…or did you have another meaning to that…? _He slipped his chin off the window ledge and allowed his body to fall the rest of the short distance to the ground where he then sat. He painfully bent a knee and placed his chin upon it as he sat still, thinking.

_I hate you…I've always hated you ever since I met you…despite that I joined the military and became a state alchemist on my own accord…I needed to have a way to gather as much information as I could on the Philosopher's Stone so I could return Al to his rightful body. Then there you were…always mocking…always making jokes. Then whenever I didn't follow your orders you threatened to court-martial me and share the secret about the real reason why Al has no body and I have limbs made of metal. You knew what would happen if you did that. Al would be shipped off to some lab and I don't know what would happen to me. Either I would be severely punished for the forbidden act of human transmutation or I would be ordered to help the military's shady schemes, doing all work they were unable to do…_

Edward turned his head to gaze at the door. Mustang was gone for a while now, perhaps caught up in his office doing paperwork at Riza's gunpoint. _He is a lazy man…always ordering me to do his work for him so he could sit and slack off, sleep on the job, or whatever. Al and I are just pawns to him… _His brows furrowed angrily at the thought. _And he acts as if everything was a coincidence when I have to deal with fugitives or end dirty military schemes…he doesn't fool me for a second…I'm not a damn child! _He felt himself become furious. _And now that I was traveling on my own he ordered lower offices to come and find me…most likely so I could do more of his work!_

The boy irritably growled. _And now you won't get out of my damn head! Ever since I came here all I have been doing is thinking about that stupid smug look on your face and your deep voice speaking to me. _He punched the ground with his automail, all traces of anger disappearing. "But…this is different…" He silently whispered. "And I can't tell myself that it is right either…this feeling…it can't be my injuries alone…I've felt it before once in a while even when I'm not near you… I've just told myself that it was a new level of hatred that someone like you deserves…but now…I'm really not sure…" _Everything is confusing…damn you Roy Mustang! _"All you see me as is a child!"

The questions began to swarm through his brain again, clouding all his logical thinking. He closed his eyes and yelled angrily, "Damn it, I don't love you! I hate you!" He opened his golden optics and widened them. No time before that shout had he even thought of the word love. It didn't seem possible. Roy was much older than he and a male…how could love be feasible? Not to mention that the blonde hated the other man with a passion, or so he made himself believe. Edward tilted his head to the side, now resting his cheek upon his leg. _But…I've read almost all of the books in the library here…everything that has to do with the Philosopher's Stone that I know of…and Hughes is gone…so…why am I still here when I have gathered just about as much information as I can retrieve from the military…? I still come to Central when told to…and when I come here I see Mustang first thing…I don't exactly…want to leave him…_

Edward growled again. _What the hell am I thinking! This is Roy Mustang! Lazy, sarcastic, egotistical Flame Alchemist! _He lifted his body in order to stand, swaying as he began to move towards the door. He opened it just a crack to make sure no one was around, although the whole military building could probably hear his shouts. Luckily the boy was in the infirmary. There were always ways to pass off the random shouting as being delusional or a side effect of the medicine he was taking. His golden eyes shifted left and right before he opened the door wider and stuck his head out it. When he didn't see anyone around, he gave a sigh of relief.

"So now you're up and walking around…"

Edward froze, recognizing the voice.

Mustang didn't bother to turn his head to look at the boy, remaining in his position against the wall. His arms were crossed before his chest as he leaned against the wall, a single heel pressed against it. "Did you eat your meal or did you spend the last hour or so yelling at yourself? With injuries like that it wouldn't be wise…"

"I'm not yelling at myself!" The boy defensively shouted, catching the attention of a nurse who just entered the hallway. His eyes narrowed as he fixed them upon Mustang. "And why are you here? I thought you had piles of paperwork to finish, or do you have someone doing that job for you too?"

"There isn't very much paperwork at this time and very little of what is there is of importance at the moment. I came to retrieve your empty plates and tray, but it appears as if you still haven't eaten." He pushed himself off the wall and walked to stand before the young alchemist. "You shouldn't stress your body…you have a fever…"

"A fever won't kill me," Edward said as he looked away embarrassingly. That certainly would explain why he felt weaker than he had earlier even though his injuries remained the same. "It's a change for you o worry so much. So much for my image of Colonel Mustang, the man who only thinks of himself and miniskirts…"

Roy's look hardened as he glared at Edward. "Go lay down and eat your meal."

The young boy was a little taken aback by the change in attitude. Just as he never saw Mustang look at him sympathetically, he never saw him look this angry…or scary… "Mustang…" he began in a more quiet tone, suddenly realizing that submission was the very thing Roy was seeking. Probably. "I told you I'm not a child! I know my limits!"

"Then that would explain why you became this injured in the first place. You picked a fight with someone that you _knew you could handle_ and collapsed, almost bleeding to death because you knew it was _no big deal_ and that you weren't _at your limits yet_. You were unconscious for the entire day you were first brought here due to _exhaustion_? Am I right? You just felt that a _short_ twenty-four hour _nap_ would be suitable after traveling here. And you haven't been eating not because you don't feel you can stomach it but because you simply are not hungry?" Roy's voice dripped in anger as he tightened a fist at his side. Edward couldn't tell if the entire conversation was a stab at just sarcasm or a lecture as well. "Your childish antics are not needed and not wanted here. When you joined the military and became a state alchemist at the age of twelve you threw your childhood away and entered adulthood. You need to pay closer attention to your surroundings and deal with any obstacles properly and not charge head first into them. This episode could have turned out much worse than it has. Even if you did survive it if you had not been found, there is always the chance that you could have become crippled from then on. Getting your brother's body and your own limbs back would prove to be much more difficult."

Edward stared at the Flame Alchemist, wearing the same angered expression though he remained very confused. "That's a lot coming from you. You don't know anything about me or us! I'm not a child, I've been telling you that for as long as I have known you! But you continue to place Al and I in situations where at times it's better to think more creatively than an old fart… I bet I've accomplished much more this way than you could ever say you did yourself!"

Mustang turned his back to Edward. "Eat your dinner. Then go to bed. You won't heal as quickly if you continue with this nonsense. As I have stated earlier, I will be in my office. If you need anything you may visit, but only after you have done what I said and if you can make it there by walking." He began to walk away.

"Hey…hey Mustang!" Edward shouted. "We're not through! You can't just walk away once you're started something!" He coughed, finally feeling the toll on his body from all the activity. The boy swung the door open the rest of the way and began to stomp forward after Roy. Each stomp became lighter almost to the point of a tiptoe as he felt more exhausted. He fell to his knees and watched Roy's retreating figure, passing out as he did so.

Roy heard the sound of metal hitting the ground so he turned. Seeing that there were no nurse's around, the loud shouting between the alchemists must have frightened the one that entered the hallway, he walked to Edward's motionless form. "Now this is the third time that you have collapsed in the last two days…" He knelt on the ground and lifted the boy, holding him much in the way a groom would hold his bride. _Hmmm…you're lighted that I thought…even with those metallic limbs…and you're thing…I know you haven't been eating since you've been here, but how often do you get a meal when you're traveling? I understand Alphonse can't eat…but you should at least…you still have a stomach…_

The man stepped through the already opened door of Edward's room and looked around. There was a small dent in the floor and the blankets were scattered every which way. _That would explain what that large bang was that I heard…it looks like a mark from a knuckle… _The Flame Alchemist's eyes shifted to look down at the sleeping boy's face. He smiled kindly for a moment. _Maybe it isn't a bad thing I stood watch outside your door ever since I left the room in the first place…if you're feeling this bad… _Roy gently placed Edward on his bed and covered him in a few blankets. Once the boy was situated, he opened a cabinet and pulled out a rag that he soon wet, placing it on Edward's forehead after assuring himself that it was of a good temperature. "You still have a fever…"

Roy sat on the edge of the younger alchemist's bed and ran his fingers through his hair, moving any strands of it that had fallen near Edward's eyes or face. His face seemed to be at comfort at last, being unconscious ended any sort of physical pain. That knowledge alone put Roy in a better mood. He hated to see his younger comrade in discomfort…when it happened as a result of his pranks didn't count.

"Fullmetal…" Roy began and shook his head knowing very well no one could hear him, including the blonde. "Edward…I know you weren't fully asleep the last time we were in this position…" His hand continued to move through the blonde locks, gently tugging at any of the knots. "Although now…" he watched as the alchemist's chest rose and lowered. "Now it seems as if you are becoming worse…so I shouldn't…" He paused, unsure as to what he was trying to say. It was funny how someone who was so set on becoming the head of the military and had a fetish for miniskirts could have so much trouble speaking to an unconscious boy.

"You should be fine now until you awake again…" He finally decided to say, standing as he did so. "I'll see how you are later tonight." _Just as long as I avoid Hawkeye's eyes… _He took the tray of food in his hand and exited the room, knowing it would probably be worse for Edward to eat spoiled food than no food at all. After discarding the food to the proper place, he returned to his office and sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair. His eyes became fixed upon the large pile of papers that needed to be signed and sorted. For some reason, they seemed of even less importance than they usually did. He lifted his hand to see something dangling from it. With closer inspection he saw it was a single strand of blonde hair- Edward's hair.

The man stared at it, lost in his own thoughts as he twiddled it around his fingers. Finally he sighed, placing the hair on his desk, still staring at it. _This is the worst off he's ever been… _Roy set his elbow on the desk avoiding the hair, resting his forehead against his fingers. _I should have been more thorough on watching out for him…and he seems to have worsened since yesterday…I don't… _He moved his eyes to look at a distant table and a picture that sat upon it. It was of himself and another man with glasses. Really, it was not one of the best pictures he had been in; he didn't even smile in it. Instead he had an annoyed look upon his face caused by the man standing next to him laughing, the glasses on his face reflecting light from the flash.

_Maes…_ The thought passed through his mind momentarily before he returned to looking at Edward's hair. _Edward…I don't want the same thing to happen to you…you're different…you're… _He covered his eyes with his hand and silently chuckled in spite of himself. _What am I thinking? You're fine now…and this won't happen again…_

The snow outside his window began to fall more heavily, seeming to add to the mood. Roy walked to it and gazed at the buildings in the distance. He wiped off some of the condensation from the glass. _I can't afford to lose someone else I care about…_

_End of Chapter 2_

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This one was a bit longer than the first one... I think it was at least by about two pages! In the future chapter lengths may increase and decrease depending on how long I feel it needs to be in order to cover everything and to make sense. For instance, this one was only going to be six pages long but then I added a bunch of things...and then I had the crazy idea to make it longer than it is now... 

Thank you for reading and supporting me. The next chapter again should come out in one to two weeks. Please review! -smiles goofily-


	3. Dream of Sorrow

Well, we're here once again for the third chapter! This one is all about a dream that Edward has. The reason? I thought it would be a good way to shine some light upon the truth of what happened to Edward. The reason behind the reason, or should I say the truth beyond all truths? I'm tired! I stayed home from school too days because of overwhelming exhaustion so I was dreaming a lot...

Anyways, yeah, this is included in the chapter, but of course there's a lil' RoyEd sprinkled in here too! And from this chapter onward they can focus more on their feelings...and maybe... –**_gasp- _**make a confession to each other? No way! Oh yeah... the dream is in italics. I had pressed enter twice to separate it better from what's going on in the present, but won't let me do that either...and it would get too tacky and weird with a lot of page dividers.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They belong to Hiromu Arakawa. I have nothing witty to say because I am too terribly exhausted and sleep deprived to think straight. Bed... a single word never sounded so good right now... that and sleep... oh… and money or shopping... more FMA for me...**

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Chapter 3-

The snow continued to fall from the ominous sky, though now barely visible since the sun had disappeared over the horizon, making its usual evening exchange with the moon a few hours past. The temperature only dropped since the afternoon, allowing the multiple snowflakes to stick to the frozen ground and each other, building upon the already growing pile of snow. East Headquarters seemed to have no signs of life, all officers either working silently into the late hours of the night or returned to their homes where families awaited their safe return, worried only until the face of a loved one was seen, seemingly shining upon entrance, exciting sluggish relatives, allowing pleasant dreams to follow.

_Tick Tock Tick Tock…_ a small silver pocket watch ticked silently, nearly inaudible in the otherwise silent office. Lights remained dim; a single candle was lit, flickering in the darkness. Numerous papers lay strewn across the floor, the point where they originated being a tall cedar desk. A few more sheets fluttered off a large pile of papers that needed to be sorted and signed, catching the draft from the window. Amidst the fallen papers lay an arm, two arms to be precise. Upon them rested a head, right temporal fitting atop the shape of an elbow. Ebony hair seemed to be kept in a messier fashion than usual from the various positions the head had been in; a few knots visible here and there. Eyes remained closed; eye lashes delicately caressing a face, showing signs of light slumber. Small stubby hairs began to appear as night fell, only now surfacing and becoming visible by the use of a naked eye.

Colonel Mustang found himself using the important documents, the ones due the next day that he put off of course, as a pillow, the result being surprisingly comfortable. The previous three days were bothersome. First an unconscious officer was found and then he had to be brought in. The man didn't find a wink of sleep for the few days since he spent his hours deep in thought; occasionally returning to the infirmary room Edward was staying at in order to assure his well-being. This of course was all done while the younger boy was asleep. He couldn't allow him to realize the great Flame Alchemist was losing sleep over his injuries. If he ever was caught though, a quick insult about being a child or the boy's height would always allow Mustang to have a quick and easy escape.

Roy slowly opened his eyes and looked at the pocket watch awarded to each state alchemist. He drowsily pressed the top of it to open the timepiece, gazing at the numbers inside. _One AM…it's that late already? _The man yawned as he stretched his arms above his head, trying to release or at least loosen the knots he felt in his back. _I haven't been out that long after all…it looks like this candle still has a bit of wick in it… _His eyes traveled back to the papers upon his desk, softly moaning as he saw the result of his procrastination in full bloom. When he was Fuhrer that would be one of the first things to go- masses of unnecessary paperwork.

Mustang placed his hands on his desk, pushing a few of the vile sheets of white to the side. Documents seemed unimportant at the moment, or in his case more unimportant now than they ever did. It was once o'clock in the morning and he was exhausted. Surely they could wait anther few hours. Riza wasn't anywhere to be seen at the moment, most likely at home with Black Hayate. That in itself was a relief; there were no bullets or a gun to threaten him with. The Colonel gazed at his picture of Hughes for another of many times he had done so over the course of time the teenager was in the same building as him.

Down the hallway, after a few turns to the left or the right, another room remained occupied for a third night. Bed sheets draped over a metallic leg and part of a torso, the other three limbs apparently stretched out as far as the muscles or nerves would allow, an arm of flesh dangling off the side of the bed. Blonde hair lay untidily fanned out over a pillow and the upper portion of the bed, a few strands covering a young boy's lashes, longer ones nearing a partially opened mouth. A small dribble spot remained moistened upon a pillow as the boy continued to slightly drool, very much in a deep sleep. He shook a little as his mouth and nose produced a sound, the soft snoring disrupting any silence.

Edward rolled onto his side, grunting quietly as he did so, metallic limb hitting him in the side of the face. His slumber began to lift as his dreams became more vivid and real. Things he would rather not remember began to surface in his thoughts, little by little showing the true light. Everything remained unorganized and scattered as images rapidly blurrily changed beneath his closed eyelids.

"_Hey Al…it looks like we're screwed here…" Edward said as he gazed at a large passenger train, thick black smoke rising from its smokestack. The locomotive's wheels were trapped in a huge pile of snow, front end lodged in it as well. The blonde scratched his head and turned his gaze towards the large suit of armor standing next to him, very much hating the fact he had to stretch his neck backwards to look at his little brother's head. "You know…this is no ordinary snow pile…" His eyes slowly traveled across the ground, an aggravated expression crossed his face, instantly noticing that there was little to know snow where he stood. "Either someone moved that snow there or the weather is really screwed up."_

_Alphonse responded with a "Mmmhmm…" as he pondered the reason for the delay. He knew that Edward, though for once he did not say so, felt a sort of relief that he was able to take yet again another detour and arrive at Central with his reports at the last possible minute possible. He silently sighed as he questioned why he had to look after the older brother. "Do you think it was just a coincidence? I mean, it did snow a lot here or at least the people in the other town said so…" _

_"If it was a coincidence then why would a pile become that large?" Edward asked, approaching the white snow. "I don't know about you, but I never saw a snowstorm before that dumped everything in one hill, leaving the rest of the ground nearly untouched. This was definitely put here to stop the train. And the fact that it was our train…" He removed his white glove from his flesh hand and reached out to touch the white solid substance. "Something's definitely out of the ordinary here…" Feeling his hand suddenly become icy, the blonde removed it quickly and replaced it into his glove._

_"But Brother…" Alphonse tried to grab the young alchemist's attention. "How can you be sure that whoever…or whatever…did this was after us? There were a lot of cars and people on that train. How can you…?"_

_Edward held out a hand to stop his younger brother from speaking any further and shook his head. "No Al, no matter how you try to look at this it's too obvious. Out of all the trains that left the last town and went in this direction ours happened to become trapped. Whoever did this had to have been watching us and been paying close attention to the different lines running out of the station." He clapped his hands together. "No matter, this won't take very long anyway." The boy reached both hands before him and planted them against the snow mound. The pile began to shrink in size as steam rose into the air. Edward lightly smiled at his own brilliance to turn the solid into a gas, just speeding up the natural process a little bit. "There, that should just about do it. Now all the conductor needs to do is continue with his travels just like he was supposed to."_

_Alphonse remained silent for a moment, observing his older brother. He seemed to be in a more cheerful mood than usual for someone who hated to go to a military establishment, one that Mustang worked at especially. "You melted that snow pretty quickly." He found himself speaking aloud more of a thought than a statement that directed towards the state alchemist._

_Edward quirked a brow as he turned to face Alphonse. "Yeah? So what? It was simple alchemy. Even a beginner could have done that one." He shivered as he pulled his red coat more tightly around himself. In a way the boy envied his younger brother for having a body made of steel. No matter how cold the metal may become he would never feel any chills or cold._

_"So what?" Alphonse repeated incredulously. "Ed, we have to get to Central, you know that. You have reports to file and the colonel will be waiting for you."_

"_And your point?" The blond asked in response, a smirk appearing on his face. _

_This was what Alphonse was prepared to look for. An ulterior motive the older boy could not hide. He sighed. "Don't tell me Ed... you're planning something…"_

"_Aw Al, you know me," Edward grinned, closing his eyes and rocking on the back of his heel. "I'll be good, I promise. Besides, I'd rather have to deal with that Mustang for an hour than have to be there for an entire day due to 'punishment' for disobeying a direct order..."_

"_For some reason I'm not so sure…" Alphonse thought to himself as he didn't look away from the obviously scheming boy._

"_I just thought we could go for a short walk. The pile of snow may be gone, but the train still needs to be prepared to take off again. We won't be taking any more time than we would if we stay here standing around like the rest of these passengers." Without waiting for a response from his brother, Edward began to walk away. "It's cold out here, but not too cold for a detour!"_

"_Hey…Ed! Wait! You said you wouldn't do this!" Alphonse called as he began to run forward after the Fullmetal Alchemist. With each large stride the sound of metal clashing together echoed, bouncing off the trees of a nearby forest._

Edward grunted and made a face as he rolled to his other side, lying on his wounded arm.

_Edward stared at the place the large mass of a train once resided, arms crossed before his chest and a placid look upon his face. "It looks as if the train decided to leave without us. Too bad. Mustang will have to wait a little longer for that information." He grinned as he turned to face the younger Elric, braid swinging with his sudden jerk._

_"Brother…" Alphonse sighed. "So this is what you had planned from the beginning. I knew you were a little too happy for a return to Central…what am I going to do with you…?"_

_The blonde continued to grin, feeling proud in his accomplishment. Central was not too far away, at least not far enough to make the walk unbearable. The only problem with treading a trail on foot was the fact that they had to cross through a forest and it was a bit chilly, the crisp winter air already nipped at Edward's neck and face. There was a reason why the mound of snow was able to stay in its perfect uniform shape, being held together from the surrounding temperature. "I'd like to say we're just taking the scenic route. There's no problem with that. Mustang'll never know the difference."_

_Alphonse placed one of his large hands against his hollow metal forehead, internally sighing, all while thinking, "How is it possible for him not to know…we can't travel as quickly on foot as a train does…"_

_"So enough of that then." Edward once again decided for both Elrics. "To get to Central we need to cross that forest that the tracks cross through. All we have to do is follow the general direction of the tracks and we should be there in no time…at least by this afternoon…" He paid no attention to the fact that it was still early morning and his younger brother seemed to be growing uneasier by the moment. This was of course, him, the Fullmetal Alchemist that Alphonse had to deal with. If he didn't become accustomed to the way his mind worked and the antics he preformed by now, then there really was no hope left for the younger boy._

"Mmmmnnn…" Edward mumbled silently in his still ongoing slumber, metallic arm swatting at nothing in particular as he flipped his body over to his stomach, head now buried in his pillow. Most of the stuffing was moved to wither side of the pillow, allowing his head to sink into the middle, acting if there was no pillow there at all. The bed made a small springing sound as his body changed position, the four legs slightly shaking due to their overall lack of stability; the boy's automail did not help with the current weight bearing issue. His dream began to become foggier with the following sequences of events, seeming to have several gaps and holes, certain parts of information missing. Flashes of such confusing images sparked in his very alert mind.

"_Alphonse…" Edward coughed windily as he grabbed his stomach. He felt as if someone had dealt him a hard blow. It did make sense, considering what happened. "Urrrggg…Alphonse…" The boy's eyes fixed upon his younger brother. It seemed as if the younger boy was dealing with the situation with much more ease, not being able to physically feel any of the damage brought upon his body of armor. Only a few kinks and scratches were visible. The Fullmetal Alchemist surveyed his own body. Truthfully he wasn't hurt as badly as he could have been. His red coat dangled from his form, torn at several areas. "Alphonse…are you…are you alright?"_

_The suit of armor nodded. "Y-yeah. What about you brother?"_

_Edward faked a smile and a chuckle, figuring it would be better to feign a story to the boy than to worry him with the truth. "Yeah, I'm fine." Though he said the lie, it was difficult to keep the smile upon his face. His back seemed to have splurged with sudden pain, in a way feeling wet. "Wetness…" Edward thought. "But it's dry out here…could that be…is it…blood?" He moved his metallic arm to reach up his back. With an incredible act of flexibility, the boy managed to reach between his shoulder blades and return his arm to his front side. Sure enough the red liquid dripped off the outstretched phalanges. _

"_Brother…is that?" Alphonse asked, approaching his puzzled brother carefully. "How did you…"_

"_Alphonse?" Edward asked softly, twiddling his automail fingers together, watching the liquid slide across the cool metal. "Did you…even see what happened?" He made a fist with his hand, the remaining blood being shot off with the movement. "I didn't see anything as this happened…that means that…what does it mean…?"_

"_No…I thought maybe you did. It came from behind me…"_

"_If that was the case, then why was my back hit?" Edward questioned the open air. He furrowed his brows as his frustration began to become overwhelming. "Whoever the hell you are, show us in person!" The boy shouted, voice echoing in the clearing. When he didn't receive a response, he began to walk to an area of brush. "Show yourself you coward!"_

"_Brother…no…" Alphonse urgently whispered. "Don't provoke whatever it is…"_

_Edward looked at Alphonse when his eyes caught a glimpse of something lurking in the shadows. A pair of beady eyes stared at him through the leaves of small growth, glowing even at this time of day. The face alone made him shudder. This definitely…was not good…_

"_Ahhhggg…" Edward gripped his side when he felt another attack, falling to the ground. "D-damn it…what the hell is happening?" He bit his lower lip and thought to himself, "Why can't I see any of these movements? Is this person too quick? But that's…that's impossible. There is no way someone could move that quickly, not with the use of alchemy or any other talent…but these…" He removed his flesh hand from his wound and looked at it- more blood. "But these cuts are as real as anything…and they're deep…"_

_Alphonse ran towards his older brother, metal clinging with each large stride. "Brother!" He reached the Fullmetal Alchemist and held out a hand to touch his shoulder. "Are you alright?"_

"_Just…peachy…" Edward responded, lifting his body to a kneeling position. "This guy's tough…"_

"_Yeah…" Alphonse mumbled. "We should just surrender…"_

"_What are you crazy?" Edward snapped back. "We can't do that, especially not until we know what his motive is. It looks like he means business. If we surrender, what's to say he won't just go ahead and finish the job while we aren't looking? What do you say about that? Giving up is not the answer…" Edward lifted his younger brother's hand off his shoulder and winced with the movement. "Damn…that last blow really got me…"_

_Alphonse's hand hovered over the older Elric. "Ed…is this your usual stubbornness or are you serious about this…?" the younger boy thought to himself. "I think I have an idea about how he's attacking you…" The boy sighed. "If there is some way to stop the method then there should be a way to get out of here unharmed…or as close to it as you can manage…"_

"_Why didn't you say something sooner?" Edward asked almost painfully, closing his eyes. "We could have been out of here by now." He awaited a response from the armor, but none was received. "Come on Al, what's wrong? You couldn't have possibly forgotten that easily. Don't worry, I'll listen." He opened his eyes and looked around. "Al…Alphonse?"_

"_Brother!" The shout came from behind some trees._

_Edward quickly rose to his feet and stumbled a bit. "Alphonse!" He darted forward, only to be stopped by another attack, this one cutting his face and part of his neck. Running a finger over the wound, the boy noticed it was almost a straight line, almost as if someone scratched him with a fine nail. His eyes scanned the area, once again not able to see anything except for the large menacing eyes. His heart sank as lugubrious feeling spread through his body. "ALPHONSE!" _

_Fullmetal ogled into the hiding optics before glaring angrily. "It was you? Wasn't it? You asked for it!" He clapped his hands together and waved his flesh one over his metallic limb, creating an extended weapon, very much like a sword. "Give me back my little brother!" Edward darted ahead towards the eyes before suddenly…_

"Fullmetal…Fullmetal!"

Edward quickly opened his eyes as his body jerked, looking full of terror. The coloring of his face faded to that of almost a white, several drops of sweat adding to his distraught look. "M-Mustang?" he panted as he looked into the man's eyes. "Wh-what are you doing here…?"

"Fullmetal…what happened?" Roy asked as he held the boy's shoulders. "I could hear your movements from the hallway. You sounded as if you were in pain."

Edward looked away, taking deep breaths. "Nothing. Nothing happened…I was just asleep…that's all…"

"You were just asleep?" Mustang questioned, still observing the boy's health and appearance. "It looks like you've seen a ghost. Now tell me, what happened?" His dark eyes never strayed or wavered, the same with his stern expression. His emotions for the boy churned within him. Ever since seeing him badly injured the first day, the feeling on never-ending worry would not leave the Colonel's mind. He felt lucky that he happened to be in the hallway at the correct time in this late evening. Any further in the dream and Edward could have become more scarred from the event than he ever could have been physically.

"I told you…I'm fine…" Edward stubbornly responded while closing his eyes, too wrapped up in the pride he was trying to protect. "It was just a dream. We all have them. I forgot what it was about already…" He tried to push the most recent images out of his mind. The dream made sense in some parts, but he was still unsure who the attacker from a few days ago was and exactly the reason for the ambush. But that was the least of his worries. What he wanted to know was where Alphonse was taken too and if he was all right. If his blood seal was broken then…

The Fullmetal Alchemist bit his lower lip at the thought of loosing someone else close to him. That was impossible, it just couldn't happen. There was no way he would allow Alphonse to die, especially while he was still in that body. If his younger brother were to leave him, the boy wouldn't know what to do.

Mustang leaned closer to the boy, allowing his arms to drape over his shoulders. With little warning, he pulled Edward to his chest and hugged him. "I know you're not telling me the whole story. I know you well enough to be able to tell when you're hiding something, as stubborn as you are. I asked you what was wrong. It's your choice whether you want to share or not."

Edward felt his cheeks begin to heat up at Mustang's touch, even if it was just a hug. There was something about it though. It felt much warmer than what he had ever experienced before in the few hugs he had actually remembered. There was a gentleness to it; it was loose enough for him to push the arms away and cuss at Mustang to leave him alone, yet it was existent and strong enough for the boy to feel a sense of security. He halfway closed his eyelids as he bowed his head and rested it against his Colonel's shoulder. "Not…right now…" he final managed to say.

"That's understandable." Mustang responded quietly, checking his words in his mind before they left his mouth. This would not be a god time to rile the boy up over something so trivial as teasing him. "I told you earlier…I was down the hallway if you needed anything, and I won't leave you alone. You're part of this military Edward. The game is that you are supposed to look out for yourself and only yourself, but then again there are quite a few of us who break those rules."

"…right…" Edward mumbled, still feeling very warm. _The military though…that's the only reason why we have ties to each other…if I were to leave he wouldn't give me any time of day…_

Mustang noticed Edward's silence and gently stroked his back, trying to soothe him. It always seemed to work for him whenever he was under stress. "It's very late Fullmetal, I don't want you to risk worsening your health by lack of sleep. I'll stay in here with you for the rest of the night. Although it may be painful…try to remember those dreams. It may help you in the end…"

"Sure…it's easy for you to say that bastard…" Edward inaudibly mumbled. _Remember a fight I failed and almost died from, an attempted murderer without a face, and a lost brother…that's exactly what I want to remember…the things that still do make me a child…_

"Fullmetal…?"

"Yeah…Mustang?"

"Is there anything else you wish to tell me?"

Edward shook his head. "Not…right now…"

Mustang nodded and began to loosen his hold around Edward.

"Oh…and…Mustang?"

"Yes Fullmetal?"

"How…old are you…?"

Roy perplexingly looked at the teenager. "And why do you want to know that?"

"Ah…no reason…never mind…" Edward embarrassingly responded. _What the hell am I doing? He's going to know something is out of the ordinary now… _He frowned. _If he had as many thoughts as I do about the matter…then…he would be considered a pedophile…right? But…I'm not a child! Ahhhgg…what am I thinking!_

Mustang unwrapped his arms from around and placed his hands on his shoulders, gently lowering the boy to a laying position on his bed. "Goodnight Fullmetal…" After pausing for a moment, Roy leaned forward and placed his lips against Edward's forehead, planting a small kiss. The action took a brief second, allowing the man to pull away and smirk. "Sleep well." He walked to a chair near the bed and sat upon in. staring at the wall to his right, facing away from Edward.

Edward blushed, but he didn't say anything in his defense. The questions still churned in his mind about how he truly felt about the egotistical military officer. But that hug even if it was only to comfort him…it felt nice. And that kiss…it still dazzled the boy, but he supposed it wasn't that bad either. Probably...

* * *

_End of Chapter 3_

Thanks for reading! Well...now we sort of know what happened to Edward, but also...at the same time...we didn't learn much at all. Looks like Ed's feelings are pretty clear though after being stuck with Mustang for a while. But then Mustang... how exactly does _he_ feel?

I apologize for any uploading errors. I noticed in the last two chapters that there were spelling and grammatical errors that were inexistent on Microsoft word, but somehow appeared after the story was launched. I will try to go over the fic and fix all of that.

Anyways, thanks again for reading! And a special thanks to all of you who have reviewed me this far! You're the reason why I am continuing with this! -**_Smiles-_**

If you have read, please review. Thanks!


	4. A New Comrade

FINALLY! CHAPTER 4! I'm feeling too sick to actually say much right now and I should really be sleeping so I shall get on with the disclaimer and the story! -**_Determined, but drowsy-_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or its characters. They are all property of Hiromu Arakawa. I do however own Grandova again and the two nurses.**

**_-Salutes-_** Hope you enjoy it! -**_Falls Over- _**

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_Chapter 4-_

A small stream of light escaped weakly through a gap in cheaply made opaque blinds, showing itself as a reddish circle on a single tile of the many making up the infirmary room floor as it reflected back into the sunrise far in the distance. Snow-covered trees glistened, soaking in any stray fragments of light. For once, nature remained silent as her creatures made the necessary transitions from night to day, nocturnal animals closing eyelids over enlarged pupils and birds within nests of twigs beginning to fidget. A small mouse scurried across the field of white, leaving behind small paw prints from its bustle, the design soon disrupted by a fox following the sent of the rodent.

Indoors away from the coolness of the crisp morning air and the soundless movement of other animals, near where the sun's morning light illuminated the floor, golden optics began to slowly open just enough for lashes to leave their position upon a pale face. Seeing as the room was still quite dark, both eyes blinked a few times before opening completely, black pupils thankful for the lack of bright light, now being allowed to make the necessary adjustment from their large size to smaller as the room became brighter. There was still much time left before they needed to do that.

Edward moved his head, flipping it from its back to its side upon the deflated pillow, by this time the feather filling was flattened and odd feeling. The nurses seemed to be lacking in their skill to complete the job of keeping a patient comfortable; surely the Elric's stubbornness had nothing to do with it. The boy reached his arms above his head and legs as far away from his body as he possibly could, beginning to stretch, feeling very tight from the various positions he found his body turned and twisted into during the night. He never realized he was that flexible, or maybe it was just a fluke, that being the true reason for his aches. With another movement of his figure, Edward twisted his torso, allowing the rest of his body to fully awake and become rejuvenated.

Deeply inhaling and releasing his breath, the alchemist began to look at the bandages upon his body. Over the few days he had spent at Central, the number never decreased, and he was very lucky that they didn't increase from any of the Major's hugs of worry, something that was not always needed, especially when he was crippled to begin with. The bandage wrapped around his left forearm began to unravel, the boy guessed it was due to the lack of replacement and how he hadn't exactly stayed still during the time he was incapacitated.

With a small frown, he sat up and poked at the bandage with a metallic finger, trying to see how many times he was actually wrapped in that particular area. As the boy fidgeted with the cloth, it continued to unwrap until it finally fell off entirely, landing on his lap before him. He hadn't actually seen the wounds before while he was bleeding, vision too blurry to make out anything in the first place even if all of the red thick liquid was not present. Now that he was able to set his eyes on it, able to closely inspect the wound, he understood why he was feeling as bad as he was. It was stitched between the elbow and the wrist on the side his ulna resided. There weren't many stitches, but even so, to be wounded that deeply was not something to be relieved about. The area of skin around the threads was dyed a purplish blue color, a bruise formed where the blood would have otherwise continued to leak from.

Edward ran his automail thumb lightly across the few stitches, wincing slightly at how tender it still was. _Crap…I probably shouldn't have taken that whole thing off… _The alchemist retrieved the wrapping from his lap and turned his head to gaze at the door when something caught his attention in the corner of his eye. With another small turn of his head, he saw that he wasn't unaccompanied in the usually lonely infirmary and he hadn't been all night. With a sympathetic smile, the boy crawled to the edge of his bed, being especially careful with his vulnerable unwrapped arm, and sat on his heels once he could crawl no further without falling off the cot itself. _Mustang stayed here the entire night…maybe he's not such an egotistical bastard after all… _

Roy Mustang deeply slept in his position upon the chair in the corner of Edward's room, arms crossed before his chest and head draping backwards over the top of the chair's back. His hair looked a bit messy, probably from the man being unable to find a comfortable position while sitting, and this time his mouth had a small trace of drool dribbling out from it.

The younger alchemist laughed at seeing the sight of his 'mighty' colonel sleeping like another someone he knew but would not mention. The boy moved his rear off his heels and slipped his artificial limb carefully onto the ground, making a loud thud as it hit. He cursed the weight of it and noticed that as he did so the higher ranked officer began to move, mumbling silently. With a small sigh of relief, Edward slipped his other leg off of the bed planting both feet onto the ground. With a small rock back and forth, he managed to shift his weight into his heels and eventually stand.

Golden eyes returned to the sleeping man's form after making sure he had enough support to shift more weight on his unwounded metallic leg. Somehow he was in a much better mood this morning than he had been over his visit, even with the superior military officer at his side. The side of his lip curled up in a small smile. "So you're still trying to avoid work by sleeping…I should have guessed as much…" A small blush began to tint his cheeks a rosy color, remembering how he was finally comforted after the horror of his dreams. "I guess I'm the one that kept you up…huh? But you bastard…you were probably just using me for an excuse to leave your work unfinished. Hawkeye won't be very pleased…" _And I know that you don't like being at her gunpoint…or do you…? _The alchemist felt a small tickle on his face so he looked towards his nose and saw a blonde strand of hair that had fallen upon it. After removing it by gently blowing air from his mouth upwards, he tucked it behind an ear, only to have it once again fall into his face.

_Damn it…stupid hair…this is the reason why I tie it back… _The boy growled in frustration as he began to fiddle with the unruly locks of his own hair. His automail fingers became entangled within a few of the strands, the locks becoming trapped in the hinges of his fingers. _What the hell? It was only one piece of hair!_

"Fullmetal…what are you doing?" Roy, by this time very much awake, stared at the younger boy before him, right brow quirked slightly. "I didn't know you enjoyed to style your hair…" It didn't take much effort to come across more sarcastic remarks with the sight before his eyes. Edward stood at the side of his bed, leaning against it on his left automail leg. Both arms bent at a forty-five degree angle, his left hand grabbing onto his right and the strands of hair attached to it. The colonel smirked as he continued, "I was wondering why it had stayed down for so long. It's different seeing you like this without that braid of yours."

"Shut-up!" Edward hissed angrily as he gave his hand one last pull, surprisingly releasing it from his web of hair, only sacrificing a few strands in the process. He placed both hands behind him and pulled his rear back onto the bed, sitting on the edge of it, eyes remained focused on the Flame Alchemist. "I don't think I should take this from someone who drools in his sleep."

Once again, Mustang appeared completely unfazed by the comment, something that never failed to make the younger boy's blood boil. "But I had to stay up all night and tuck you in. It's understandable since I was tired enough." _It couldn't have been as much as you do…_

"I never told you to stay in here!" The blonde shouted in his defense. "I never told you to stay here! You only wanted to avoid your paperwork anyway! That's always the real reason why you take time to do unnecessary things!" His brows remained inclined, but his eyes twitched slightly. The blush would not be able to surface this time; he would not allow it. _That's the real reason why he stayed here last night…that's right… Damn it! Why am I getting this upset! _He gritted his teeth together and clenched the side of the mattress in his hands.

"It's best if you don't strain yourself Fullmetal. You collapsed yesterday and had a fever last night as well. I can tell that you still feel unwell…" Roy lifted himself from the chair, instantly feeling the tightness of his muscles. On the exhale of a deep breath, he reached his hands behind his back and allowed a tight stretch, the end resulting in tingling muscles. "You do want to find your brother Alphonse, don't you? The longer it takes for your body to heal, the longer you will be stuck in headquarters. Unless that was your plan all along."

Edward fumed, ready for retaliation. "Like hell it is! I-"

"Um…excuse me?" A high feminine voice squeaked from the other side of the entrance to Edward's room. "I'm coming in now…Mr. Elric." The handle on the door jiggled a few times, obviously the person on the other side was a bit nervous as she fidgeted with it, and the door slowly swung open little by little. "I ah…I came to check up on you…" Only once the door was open halfway could the figure of a young woman be seen. Her rosy cheeks, a sure sign of her embarrassment, were framed by chin-length brunette locks that seemed to bounce with any quick nervous movements she made. Her appearance alone for some reason brought upon the image of a frightened animal in Edward's mind.

"Oh, Colonel Mustang, I didn't realize that you were here." As she spoke she held her clipboard to her chest, hazel eyes glittering as her lips tugged into a small side smile. "I'm sorry, but I need to see Mr. Elric alone for a moment…so…um…if you…"

"Understood," Roy replied, not allowing the girl to finish. "I have to work to attend to as it is." He stood and began to walk towards the door, stopping before the young nurse and smiling. "Don't let him give you too hard of a time." Restraining himself from saying any comments about the blonde being a child, he did try to hold back when others were around that may find it inappropriate, he looked to the Fullmetal Alchemist one last time and then left the room.

During the conversation, Edward felt completely disgusted, reading much further into the actions than words. _Does he pick up a girl's attention wherever he goes? Now I know why Havoc seems upset with him at times…that's…disgusting. I mean…it's Mustang! _He shuddered, but wasn't at his peak of insecurity yet. It wasn't until he saw the look that Mustang shot him upon his great exit. It wasn't a typical look that he usually saw from the older man, but rather something else. It looked almost as if…he enjoyed sleeping on an uncomfortable chair in a position that made him stiff in the morning just because he was able to be with the younger alchemist. _No…I'm over thinking this…that bastard…he just started something with this girl here…it's disgusting!_

"Ah…um…Mr. Elric?" The nurse leaned over the boy, looking into his face. "Are you…alright? You look…funny. I, I mean! No! You don't look well! That's not what I mean either! You just…you look…troubled." She frantically looked at Edward before gazing at her clipboard, pretending to look through medical files.

Edward rolled his eyes. _How did I end up with this dunce? _"Yeah…I'm fine. I know what you mean. Now can you get the hell away from me?"

"Ah?" The nurse looked back into Edward's eyes to see that she was only an inch or so away from his face. Blushing vibrantly, she quickly jumped backwards. "I-I-I-I'm sorry Mr. Elric! I didn't mean anything! I just! I!"

The alchemist looked away, an annoyed expression upon his face. "Yeah, whatever you say." He vaguely thought about Alphonse and how the younger boy would see nothing but kindness in the nurse's actions, just like that time with Psiren, even though she was a criminal. "So…what do you need then? Do you need me to take more medicine?"

"Um…actually…we need…" She cleared her throat, looking much more nervous than she previously was when she first entered the infirmary room.

Edward irritably stared at her, arms crossed and back slouched. "Yeeees?" The boy tried to speak calmly though he felt as if at that given moment he was about to explode. For some reason just looking at the women fidgeting before him really got on his nerves.

"Your…height…" The nurse swallowed, as she watched the young alchemist twitch. "We need your height…for our records…your…weight too…" Truth be told, Edward was well known around headquarters for his sudden outbursts when height or the word small and its many synonyms were mentioned. The young nurse did not pass off the rumors as nothing, being the timid creature that she was, and feared what may happen to her ever since she was assigned his room. Seeing the boy twitch before her only made her spirit drop much quicker.

"I know what you're going to do!" The blonde shouted, sitting straight on his bed, eyes burning. "I know what you're really planning! You're going to take my height and then CALL ME SHORT! I'M NOT SMALLER THAN A LITTLE SPECK OF DUST!"

"I…I…never said that…"

"BUT YOU WERE THINKING IT!"

The nurse's lip quivered as she took the shouts, too afraid to comment back.

* * *

Roy reached his office, looking gloomily at the mountain of paperwork he left behind the night before. _It looks as if Lieutenant Hawkeye wasn't here yet…she must still be out on that mission… _He yawned, leaning against the doorframe sleepily. _That's the last time I fall asleep on a chair… Nothing beneficial came out of it…except for… _He shook his head. _I shouldn't be thinking that way…especially about a lower ranked…not to mention younger…officer… _After rubbing his eyes, the Flame Alchemist entered the dark room and immediately opened the blinds, the purpose of his actions were to allow himself to stay awake rather than to be able to see his work. Despite his efforts, the man couldn't help beginning to nod off at his desk, head dropping slowly onto his chest.

"Colonel Mustang!"

Roy opened his eyes, blinking a few times. He didn't quite recognize the voice, but knew that it came from outside his closed office door.

"Colonel Mustang?" The sound of knocking filled the room, taking away any chance of the Colonel falling asleep again.

Mustang corrected his posture in his chair, deciding to respond, "Yes? You may come in." He removed one of the manila files from its pile and opened it, gazing at the contents as the door creaked open.

"I'm sorry to disturb you…I know…you're a very busy man…"

"Oh, that's fine," Roy waved a hand as he continued to look through the file, looking as if he changed his entire mood about his work, even if it was only an act.

"Thank you Colonel Mustang." Grandova smiled, this being the first time that he had actually spoken to the well-known Flame Alchemist alone face to face. "But I have a message for you. From the higher ups…"

Mustang looked up from his paperwork and stared demandingly at the second lieutenant. "And what would that be?"

"Well…" Grandova began, scratching his head. "They just said that they needed to talk to you about something. I think that it may have to do with Mr. Elric and what may have happened to him… But… I'm really not sure…" He scratched his head thoughtfully. "You know… that was a close call back there for the kid and you seem to be the one he reports everything to. That's the only reason why I…"

"Understood," Roy interrupted, closing the folder upon his desk and rising from his seat. His tone didn't waver, showing strength and confidence in the matter, though somehow he had an uneasy feeling inside. "Thank you for reporting to me Lieutenant."

"Nonsense! It is my job after all!" Grandova saluted, shifting his weight to his right foot, leaning slightly to his side. "Oh, and don't worry. They seemed to be in a good mood so you have nothing to worry about."

_Doesn't he realize that the military has experts at deception? _"Yes, thank you Lieutenant. You may return to your work now." After speaking, Roy didn't take a moment's hesitation to exit the office, leaving a very confused Grandova behind.

"Wait…did he not remember or know who I was…" Grandova disappointingly mumbled to himself, lowering his hand, allowing it to hang at his side.

* * *

"Why is height important! It's not like it matters!" The Elric shouted at the young nurse and the other that had just recently joined them as a sort of a back up for the first.

"If that's the case, then why are you becoming so worked up Mr. Elric? In a way it's nice to know that you're speedily recovering by the amount of shouting you can do," the second nurse shouted right back, aqua eyes glaring angrily at the boy. She was older than the first by more than a few years made evident by the amount of wrinkles upon her face. Her personality greatly contrasted that of the brunette nurse as well. Instead of cowering before a child of all things she stood her ground, returning his intimidating glare with an intense one of her own. "If you do not do this then you won't be able to check out of headquarters. But then again, that's your choice." She slyly looked at the other nurse, smiling ever so slightly at her new approach to the situation at hand. "Wendy?"

The brunette watched the scene in awe, observing the way that Edward seemed to grow silent. _Wow… how did Hilga do that? _She blinked a few times before smiling broadly.

"What are you so damn happy about!" Edward shouted towards Wendy, noticing the quick disappearing act of her smile. He stubbornly crossed his arms as he slipped both legs off the bed. "You better not look or tell anyone about this. And make it quick…" He closed his eyes and sighed. Hilga did have a point. If height didn't matter, then why did he become so worked up over it? He did know he was a man of great stature, or at least that was the rumor that he enjoyed most to spread around. "Well come on," The alchemist looked at the two nurses who were silently celebrating. "You're the ones who wanted this so badly." _And the sooner that I get this over with the sooner I can go and find Al… I hope he's alright._

Hilga nodded, giving a small wink to her inexperienced accomplice. "Yes, but of course. Now if you would just come this way then." She placed her hand gently on the boy's metallic shoulder, only to have it quickly swatted away with one of flesh belonging to Edward, a look on his face clearly stating, 'Don't touch me, I'm not a child.' The older nurse rolled her eyes, and began to direct him to the scale with words instead. "Alright Mr. Elric. Have it your way. Come this way."

Once at the scale, the blonde stared at it, noticing how menacing its metal and numbers appeared. _What are they_… _mocking me! _After a moment of staring angrily at the contraption, the boy stepped upon it, back facing the numbers. He crossed his arms, looking out into the distance between the two nurses. Avoiding eye contact seemed like the most appropriate action to take at the moment.

"Ah…Hilga… taking his weight may be difficult. Look, his arm and leg are metal…" Wendy nervously stated, looking at Ed's right arm, and hand.

_And she just noticed that…? _The Fullmetal Alchemist looked at the young nurse in disbelief, allowing the sleeve of his gown to slip over his arm, hiding the automail.

"Yes, I know, but we'll figure that out later. Right now we just need the current weight and height of him." Nurse Hilga ran a hand though her gray hair. She took the other and began to move the weights behind Edward's head. "Ok, there's his weight with the automail. Write it down on your clipboard. And as for his height…" She paused a moment while ogling at the measurement. For most people she would normally have to lift the bar quite a ways for it to rest just above the head, but as for this boy… she had to lower it slightly.

"What!" Edward snapped in response to the stares.

"You're height… you're only…"

* * *

"But sir…are you sure that is wise? Not to question your authority, but he is still healing…" Mustang questioned with growing concern in his voice.

"I believe that the boy is capable of continuing with this mission. His condition proves that he was most likely a victim of the recently escaped brigand." King Bradley stood from his seat and walked to a nearby window, looking out it into the horizon and the still rising sun. "You would agree that despite his age he is a capable candidate for the job. Do you not Mustang?"

The Flame Alchemist frowned, finding it safe to do so as the leader of the military had his back to him. Something didn't seem right. Surely the Fuhrer was told about how severe his injuries were. The boy couldn't even function properly for the last few days. Was it really wise to send the same boy, pride and all, on a dangerous mission in the bitter cold with as many wounds he had? "Yes…" Mustang began slowly, growing more suspicious by the moment. "Fullmetal is more capable than many of the officers."

The Fuhrer turned around, now facing Mustang. "There is no reason to worry. I wasn't planning on sending Fullmetal alone. He is usually accompanied by his younger brother. Even if he were here at the moment I would still recommend having another experienced soldier come with him." The man approached Mustang, a smile on his face. "How would you like to accompany him Colonel? It would give you a break from your paperwork."

"I would be honored sir," Roy answered boldly. _If I go then I can assure his safety and get to the bottom of what is really going on. Why was Ed wounded so badly… and where and how is Alphonse… _It seemed like a better plan than arguing Mustang finally decided. He knew that Edward was in no condition to leave the infirmary just yet, but he also knew that no matter what he said King Bradley's word was law.

"Very good then. Mustang, you and Fullmetal will leave tonight. Assure that he is aware of what your mission is. I understand he will want to search for his younger brother first, but that is not our top priority here. We need to first apprehend the criminal. And if this person was the one who attacked the boys, then you may be able to hit two birds with one stone." Bradley held his hands behind his back as he watched the Colonel. "And Mustang, I expect some information."

"Understood," Mustang responded, rising from the chair he had found residence in.

"Good, you are dismissed."

The Flame Alchemist left the room, closing the door behind him. He outwardly sighed. _This is another one of those commands that I don't agree with… it's best not to push yourself when you're unwell. Already Fullmetal has proven so. _Lazily, Mustang placed his right hand in his pocket and began to walk down the hallway. _The last thing that I want to do is put him in harm's way again… I couldn't bear to lose someone important a second time…. especially when it happens in service. I made a vow that Fullmetal would be fine while under my jurisdiction, but if this criminal was able to do him this much harm the first time around, then I'm not really sure even with both of us we'll be much of a match. I'll just need to hope for his cooperation and that his stubbornness will lift a little… _He shook his head. _That's impossible…_

Mustang halted as he heard a loud crash and a familiar shout in the distance. _Was that… Edward? _The shout came again, followed by many more crashes and feminine shrieks. Growing angry and sure that he knew the cause of the noise, the Flame Alchemist continued forward at a quicker pace. Sure enough his prediction was correct. He was greeted by a fuming blonde, a cowering nurse, a shouting nurse, and something bent on the ground. Was that… a damaged scale? "Hey shrimp, why are you so loud?"

Edward twitched as he heard the word, turning around angrily. "I AM NOT A SHRIMP!"

It was very difficult to hold back his laughter, but the Colonel managed with a large smirk. Becoming more serious he continued, "Fullmetal, I need to speak with you. The infirmary room will do."

"Why the hell should I-" Edward began, but stopped when he noticed how serious Mustang looked. "Sure, whatever. Just get me away from these nurses."

The Colonel hid his amusement and annoyance as he apologized to the nurses and led the irate Edward to the infirmary room. Once they reached it, he closed the door and took a seat in the familiar chair that had also doubled as a bed. "I recently spoke with the Fuhrer. But first… do you feel any improvement?"

"Yeah, yeah," Edward waved his hand as if telling Mustang to get on with the point. "And those nurses finally changed the bandages so I'm good to go with those. Why?"

Roy watched the boy intently, coming to the conclusion that for once the alchemist was telling the truth about his well-being. The man folded his hands in his lap and leaned back lazily in the uncomfortable chair, feeling a pain in his back from the hard metal backing. "You may leave headquarters tonight, but for a different reason than what you may think. The Fuhrer has ordered for you to be placed on a recent case. You have heard about the escaped prisoner."

Edward nodded his head and crossed his arms. "Yeah. I heard of him. I don't know much about him though."

Mustang nodded. _Well, he's cooperating now… _"And now I am going to ask you again. Do you remember what happened to you before you were retrieved and brought to headquarters?" His voice held a sense of seriousness that the boy didn't recognize as being possible coming from the egotistical Colonel. "I need to know."

"I already told you," The blonde responded quietly, gazing into Mustang's eyes. "I don't remember anything from before I was out. All I know is I was with Al one minute and then he was gone. I tried to find him… but only then was it…"

"I see…" Roy looked away from Edward, a sinking feeling in his stomach. _How is Fullmetal good on this mission if he can't remember anything… _"Somehow the Fuhrer believes that your injuries and the recent escape of the prisoner are related. And because of that he has ordered you to take care of this. Chances are Alphonse may be in his custody. But you will not be going alone."

The young alchemist perked up at the mention of his younger brother. "Really? They're making this too easy. If they are linked together then that means Al just has to be there with whoever did this. And once I beat the shit out of him…" He made a fist with his automail hand, eyes glimmering. "Wait a minute… who's the sorry officer that they're sending with me? They better not slow me down…"

Mustang stood and closed his eyes. "We leave night. Make sure you're ready. I would suggest getting any medication you need from those nurses that you scared half to death."

"W-wait! What do you mean _we_? You mean you and me! Alone!" Edward stared at Mustang, mouth slightly agape.

"I mean it exactly how it sounds. King Bradley made the arrangements and it is our duty to follow his orders." He reopened his eyes and watched the boy, a small smile on his face. "You did want to leave Headquarters, didn't you Fullmetal? Now is your chance. You're lucky." Roy walked up to the boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he looked down at him. "I'm not disappointed in this. And you can be sure that you won't be harmed." He frowned for a moment, realizing the promise that he couldn't quite easily keep. "…You'll be protected."

Edward blushed at Mustang's touch and bit his lip. _Damn it… why him out of all people… and why now…? What's going on? _He took a deep breath. "Sure… you say that now…" the teenager hesitantly removed Mustang's arm and looked away. "Then… I'll see you tonight…"

_What? No retaliation? _"When you put it that way Fullmetal it almost sounds like a date." Mustang teased, though somehow he felt as if it was not entirely sarcasm.

The Fullmetal Alchemist's face became much redder as he pushed the Colonel away. "Shut-up! And get out of here! I don't need to see your face until tonight!" After successfully removing Mustang from the room and slamming the door shut behind him, Edward trudged to the bed and dropped himself upon it. _All alone with Mustang… in the past I would have tried to get out of it with any excuse… but now I… It doesn't make sense… I just… want to… _He gazed at the door where he could still seeing Mustang's shadow being cast onto the opaque window. _His embrace last night… I never felt anything like it before… I just… _He shook his head and began to prepare himself for the evening. Mustang may have said that they were leaving at night, but he knew otherwise. It was most likely to be much earlier than that. _What should I be expecting…?_

Colonel Mustang gave one glance at the door before proceeding to his office. _Hawkeye would be angry if I didn't at least finish one piece of paperwork… _Though he tried to focus his mind on his work, he couldn't help but think about Edward again, that hug and that kiss. _He…really doesn't look like a brat when he blushes… actually the opposite. I think… no… I know that I have actually... despite everything against us… _A small smile formed on his face as he entered the bright office. _And judging by his blush he also feels something… at least I think so. Maybe… I should bring it up tonight when there's no one around that can overhear… _He sat upon his chair and carelessly pulled out one of the older manila folders from the bottom of a stack, flipping through its contents. _But this mission still has me feeling uneasy…_

* * *

_End of Chapter 4_

I am soooo sorry that this took so long to complete! First all my files were deleted, then my computer died so I couldn't get on it at all. I worked on it at school, saving it on the school computer but then I switched schools so I lost it. Finding my computer still broken I snuck on my sister's and typed it, but then she deleted all my files because she hates anime and manga. I finally got my other computer, but then caught an illness and still have bronchitis making me feel just horrible. Soooo… yeah. I think everything was just trying to prevent me from writing this. But it is continuing! I promise! I love RoyEd and I love writing this fic. The chapters may just take a little longer to write... although I do have a Toshiba laptop now so I'm happy and I'll be able to bring it everywhere with me. Tee hee. Anyway, thanks for putting up with me and my lameness and for all the reviews. It really makes me happy. Chapter 5 shall come your way soon! Hopefully. But it is coming!

_Please Read and Review_


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